Method and system for providing a satellite interface to support mobile communication services

ABSTRACT

An approach provides a satellite air interface to efficiently support communication with a terrestrial network. One or more packets associated with a data communication session are received from a terrestrial network configured to provide cellular communications. A frame representing the packet for transmission is generated over a satellite link to a user terminal. Signaling information for the transmission of the packet over the terrestrial network is modified or eliminated for transmission over the satellite link.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation, and claims the benefit of the filingdate under 35 U.S.C. §120, of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/324,260 (filed 26 Nov. 2008), which claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to: (1) U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.61/054,197 (filed 19 May 2008), (2) U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/054,199 (filed 19 May 2008), (3) U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 61/054,201 (filed 19 May 2008), (4) U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 61/054,203 (filed 19 May 2008), and (5) U.S.Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/054,189 (filed 19 May 2008); thedisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

BACKGROUND

Terrestrial communication systems continue to provide higher and higherspeed multimedia (e.g., voice, data, video, images, etc.) services toend-users. Such services (e.g., Third Generation (3G) services) can alsoaccommodate differentiated quality of service (QoS) across variousapplications. To facilitate this, terrestrial architectures are movingtowards an end-to-end all-Internet Protocol (IP) architecture thatunifies all services, including voice, over the IP bearer. In parallel,mobile satellite systems are being designed to complement and/orco-exist with terrestrial coverage depending on spectrum sharing rulesand operator choice. With the advances in processing power of desktopcomputers, the average user has grown accustomed to sophisticatedapplications (e.g., streaming video, radio broadcasts, video games,etc.), which place tremendous strain on network resources. The Web aswell as other Internet services rely on protocols and networkingarchitectures that offer great flexibility and robustness; however, suchinfrastructure may be inefficient in transporting Web traffic, which canresult in large user response time, particularly if the traffic has totraverse an intermediary network with a relatively large latency (e.g.,a satellite network). To promote greater adoption of data communicationservices, the telecommunication industry, from manufacturers to serviceproviders, has agreed at great expense and effort to develop standardsfor communication protocols that underlie the various services andfeatures.

Satellite systems possess unique design challenges over terrestrialsystems. That is, mobile satellite systems have different attributesthat make terrestrial designs either not applicable or inefficient forsatellite systems. For example, satellite systems are characterized bylong delays (as long as 260 ms one-way) between a user-terminal deviceand a base-station compared to the relatively shorter delays (e.g.,millisecond or less) in terrestrial cellular systems—this implies thatprotocols on the satellite links have to be enhanced to minimize impactof long propagation delays. Additionally, satellite links typically havesmaller link margins than terrestrial links for a given user-terminalpower amplifier and antenna characteristics; this implies that higherspectral efficiency and power efficiency are needed in satellite links.

SOME EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Therefore, there is a need for an approach for providing efficient useof spectral resources of a satellite system when operating withterrestrial systems.

According to one embodiment of the invention, a method comprisesreceiving one or more packets associated with a data communicationsession from a terrestrial network configured to provide cellularcommunications. The method also comprises generating a framerepresenting the packet for transmission over a satellite link to a userterminal. Signaling information for the transmission of the packet overthe terrestrial network is modified or eliminated for transmission overthe satellite link.

According to another embodiment of the invention, an apparatus comprisesa terrestrial interface configured to receive one or more packetsassociated with a data communication session from a terrestrial networkconfigured to provide cellular communications. The apparatus alsocomprises a satellite interface configured to generate a framerepresenting the packet for transmission over a satellite link to a userterminal.

According to yet another embodiment of the invention, a method comprisesreceiving a plurality of frames from a satellite, wherein the framesrepresent a multimedia session transported over a terrestrial networkconfigured to provide cellular communications. The method also comprisesgenerating one or more packets by modifying or adding overheadinformation to information transported over the frames.

Still other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention arereadily apparent from the following detailed description, simply byillustrating a number of particular embodiments and implementations,including the best mode contemplated for carrying out the invention. Theinvention is also capable of other and different embodiments, and itsseveral details can be modified in various obvious respects, all withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature,and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments of the invention are illustrated by way of example, andnot by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings:

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams of communication systems capable ofproviding Internet Protocol (IP)-based communication sessions from aterrestrial domain to a satellite domain, according to various exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process for providing IP-based communicationsessions from a terrestrial network over a satellite link, according tovarious exemplary embodiments;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are, respectively, a diagram of a user plane protocolarchitecture for providing a satellite air interface and a diagram of asystem supporting different core network choices, according to variousexemplary embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a control plane protocol architecture forproviding a satellite air interface, according to various exemplaryembodiments;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are, respectively, a flowchart and a ladder diagram ofprocesses for providing spectrally efficient Voice over IP (VoIP)sessions, according to various exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a communication system for providing mediahandling to achieve circuit-switched efficiency for VoIP, according tovarious exemplary embodiments;

FIGS. 7A and 7B are, respectively, a flowchart of a process forproviding multiple vocoder rate operation, and a diagram of a framestructure for supporting the process, according to various exemplaryembodiments;

FIGS. 8A and 8B are, respectively, a flowchart and a ladder diagram ofprocesses for providing link quality reports in support of acommunications session, according to various exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for handling transmission errorsassociated with a packetized voice call, according to various exemplaryembodiments;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are, respectively, a ladder diagram of a conventionalprocess for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) over User DatagramProtocol (UDP) handling, and a ladder diagram of an enhanced process forSIP over UDP handling according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a communication system having a quality ofservice (QoS) architecture, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a communication system for supporting multiplesimultaneous flows for a user terminal with different QoS requirement,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a process for efficiently multiplexing flows,according to various exemplary embodiments;

FIGS. 14A-14C are diagrams of exemplary frame structures for providingmultiplexing of multiple flows, according to various exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a process for utilizing performance enhancingproxy (PEP) functions, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 16 is a diagram of a protocol architecture including PEP functions,according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 17 is a ladder diagram of a typical Medium Access Control (MAC)protocol exchange over a satellite link;

FIG. 18 is a ladder diagram of a MAC protocol exchange over a satellitelink in which delay is reduced, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a process for efficiently utilizing resourcesto provide push-to-anything, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 20 is a diagram of a communication system capable of providingpush-to-anything, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of a process for providing dynamic linkadaptation, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 22 is a diagram of a graph show performance of a dynamic linkadaptation mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 23 is a ladder diagram of a handover process between a terrestrialdomain and a satellite domain, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 24 is a flowchart of a process for providing legal interceptionhandling, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 25 is a diagram of a communication system capable of providinglegal interception handling, according to an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 26 is a diagram of hardware that can be used to implement certainembodiments; and

FIG. 27 is a diagram of exemplary components of a user terminalconfigured to operate in the systems of FIGS. 1A and 1B, according to anexemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An apparatus, method, and software for providing a satellite interfaceto support mobile communication services are disclosed. In the followingdescription, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific detailsare set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of theembodiments of the invention. It is apparent, however, to one skilled inthe art that the embodiments of the invention may be practiced withoutthese specific details or with an equivalent arrangement. In otherinstances, well-known structures and devices are shown in block diagramform in order to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the embodiments of theinvention.

Although certain embodiments are discussed with respect to an InternetProtocol (IP)-based architecture, it is recognized by one of ordinaryskill in the art that these embodiments have applicability to any typeof packet based communication system and equivalent functionalcapabilities.

FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams of communication systems capable ofproviding Internet Protocol (IP)-based communication sessions from aterrestrial domain to a satellite domain, according to various exemplaryembodiments. For the purposes of illustration, a system 100 of FIG. 1Asupports multimedia services using an Internet Protocol (IP)architecture, such that end-to-end communication sessions arepacketized. By way of example, a terrestrial core network 101 is awireless core network that is compliant with a Third Generation (3G) orFourth Generation (4G) architecture; e.g., Third Generation PartnershipProject (3GPP)-based. For example, the system 100 can utilize asatellite air interface denoted as GMR-1 3G, which is an evolution ofthe GMR-1 air interface standards; GMR-1 3G has been submitted to and iscurrently under consideration for adoption by EuropeanTelecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the InternationalTelecommunication Union (ITU). The wireless core network 101 may alsohave connectivity to a data network 103 and a telephony network 105.

Networks 101, 103, and 105 may be any suitable wireline and/or wirelessnetwork. For example, telephony network 105 may include acircuit-switched network, such as the public switched telephone network(PSTN), an integrated services digital network (ISDN), a private branchexchange (PBX), an automotive telematics network, or other like network.Wireless network 101 (e.g., cellular system) may employ varioustechnologies including, for example, code division multiple access(CDMA), enhanced data rates for global evolution (EDGE), general packetradio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), IPmultimedia subsystem (IMS), universal mobile telecommunications system(UMTS), etc., as well as any other suitable wireless medium, e.g.,microwave access (WiMAX), wireless fidelity (WiFi), satellite, and thelike. Moreover, data network 103 may be any local area network (LAN),metropolitan area network (MAN), wide area network (WAN), the Internet,or any other suitable packet-switched network, such as a commerciallyowned, proprietary packet-switched network having voice over InternetProtocol (VoIP) capabilities, e.g., a proprietary cable or fiber-opticnetwork.

Within the satellite domain, a satellite base station subsystem (SBSS)107 is introduced that implements the necessary modifications andenhancements for efficient operation over a satellite 109 to one or moreuser terminals 111 a-111 n. These terminals 111 a-111 n can be ofvarious types with different form factors and transmit capabilities;e.g., sleek hand-held terminals, personal digital assistants (PDAs),vehicular terminals, portable terminals, fixed terminals, automotivetelematics terminals, etc.

The SBSS 107 communicates with the wireless network 101, which includesa core network (e.g., 3G/4G) that is unchanged from terrestrial corenetwork. This consequently permits operators to reuse existing 3G/4Gcore network elements. The interface between the SBSS 107 and the 3G/4Gcore network 101 can be a standard terrestrial interface.

It is also noted that the architecture of the system 100 permits thesame core network element to simultaneously communicate with aterrestrial base station (not shown) and the SBSS 107. This capabilityis illustrated in FIG. 1B. As seen, the system 100 enables handoverprocedures between terrestrial base-station and the SBSS 107 to beexecuted via a core network with standard procedures defined interrestrial systems. In this example, the UT 111 has the capability tocommunicate over a satellite link or directly communicate with aterrestrial radio access network 113 to the wireless network 101. By wayof example, the data network 103 is configured as an IP/IMS (IPMultimedia Subsystem) with multiple application servers 115 supplyingmultimedia content. The data network 103 couples to the PSTN 105 via amedia gateway 117; the PSTN 105 can serve one or more voice terminals119.

In the system 100, a radio access bearer (RAB) is associated with PacketData Protocol (PDP) context maintained between the user terminal (UT)111 and the core network (CN) 101. For instance, one RAB can beestablished for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call signaling, and bemaintained as long as the user wishes to make and receive calls. AnotherRAB is established on demand for the transport of the voice media whilea call is in session. The satellite radio access network establishes andmaintains Radio Bearers (RBs) between the UT 111 and the S-BSS 107necessary to satisfy, for example, Quality of Service (QoS) requirementsof the SIP call signaling and Voice over IP (VoIP) user plane RABs. Thesignaling radio bearer supports signaling connectivity between the UT101 and the satellite radio access network.

While specific reference will be made thereto, it is contemplated thatsystem 100 may embody many forms and include multiple and/or alternativecomponents and facilities.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process for providing IP-based communicationsessions from a terrestrial network over a satellite link, according tovarious exemplary embodiments. In step 201, IP-based media is receivedat the SBSS 107 from a terrestrial network (e.g., network 101). The SBSS107 can then process the media flow to optimize transmission of theIP-based media in terms of, e.g., overhead signaling, delay, orthroughput. In step 203, overhead information of the media flow ismodified or eliminated altogether for transmission over the satellitelink. This processing can occur on a packet-by-packet basis or bysegments of packets. Thereafter, the IP-based media is transported overa satellite link to the UT 111, as in step 205.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are, respectively, a diagram of a user plane protocolarchitecture for providing a satellite air interface and a diagram of asystem supporting different core network choices, according to variousexemplary embodiments. A user plane protocol architecture 300 employsthe following higher protocols at the end terminals (e.g., UT and aremote host): an application layer, a TCP/UDP layer, and an IP layer.The UT 111, according to one embodiment, includes the followingsatellite domain specific protocols to communicate with the SBSS 107:SAT-PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol), SAT-RLC (Radio LinkControl), SAT-MAC (Medium Access Control), and SAT-PHY (Physical). Tointerface with the terrestrial systems, the SBSS 107 provides thefollowing protocols: GTP-U (GPRS Tunneling Protocol-User Plane), UDP(User Datagram Protocol), IP, and Ethernet. On the terrestrial side, the3G-SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) utilizes GTP-U, UPD, IP, L2, and L1to communicate with the 3G-GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node), whichemploys an IP layer to link to the remote host. Therefore, in the userplane, PDCP, RLC, MAC and PHY layers are optimized for satelliteoperation. Next, the control plane is described.

As seen in FIG. 3B, a communication system 310 utilizes an adaptationlayer 311 to insulate the satellite air interface 313. Consequently, thesatellite air interface 313 permits the interoperation with various corenetworks; e.g., 3GPP2 EVDO (Evolution Data Optimized) core/MMD(Multimedia Domain) network 315, Universal Mobile TelecommunicationsSystem/IP Multimedia Subsystem (UMTS/IMS) core network 317, and a WiMaxcore network 319.

FIG. 4 is a diagram of a control plane protocol architecture forproviding a satellite air interface, according to various exemplaryembodiments. As shown, the SBSS 107 communicates with user terminals(UT) 111 whose radio layer (also called as Access Stratum 401)functionality is consistent with that implemented at the SBSS 107. Inthis architecture 400, protocol functions and layers above the AccessStratum 401, also referred to as Non-Access Stratum 403 in the UTs 111are unchanged. Accordingly, these protocols communicate with the corenetwork elements without any modifications to the core network elements.Regardless of what core network elements are chosen by the operator, thesatellite-specific access stratum enhancements and modifications betweenSBSS and UT will remain the same.

In the control plane, the RRC, RLC, MAC and PHY layers are optimized forsatellite operation.

According to one embodiment, at the physical layer, the waveforms can bedesigned to permit operation in multiples of 31.25 kHz and with multipleslot durations. Power efficiency is achieved via use of such waveformsas pi/2 BPSK (Binary Phase Shift Keying), pi/4 QPSK (Quadrature PhaseShift Keying) and 16-APSK (Amplitude Phase Shift Keying) that have lowerpeak-to-average ratios than their counterparts of BPSK, QPSK and 16-QAM(Quadrature Amplitude Modulation). Bit rates from, e.g., 2.4 kbps to 1Mbps can be achieved via the use of appropriate channel bandwidth,modulation scheme, coding rate and burst length.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are, respectively, a flowchart and a ladder diagram ofprocesses for providing spectrally efficient Voice over IP (VoIP)sessions, according to various exemplary embodiments. A key attribute ofan all-IP system is that, all services including voice is carried overIP—i.e., Voice over IP or VoIP. That is, encoded voice is transmittedacross the satellite system as IP packets. Unlike circuit-switchedvoice, VoIP packets carry header information whose size can be 40 or 60bytes for IPv4 and IPv6, respectively. The percentage overhead is afunction of the payload that the VoIP packet carries; therefore lowerrate vocoders that are typically used in satellite systems will incursignificantly higher percentage of overhead compared to terrestrialsystems. As an example, a terrestrial system with a 12.2 kbps AdaptiveMulti-Rate (AMR) vocoder will incur a overhead of about 66% for IPv4(100% for IPv6) , whereas a 4 kbps vocoder used in satellite systemswill incur an overhead of about 200% (300% for IPv6). Moreover, thisdoes not take into account Layer 2 overhead that is typically used inpacket systems with bandwidth on demand, in which the overhead can bebetween 5 to 6 bytes leading to additional degradation in efficiency.Therefore, VoIP sessions are costly with respect to signaling overhead.

By way of example, the VoIP session utilizes Session Initiation Protocol(SIP) to establish voice communication between two parties. SIP protocolserves as the call control protocol for establishing, maintaining andteardown of VoIP calls. SIP provides a flexible framework for handlingmultimedia services, affording the end user with flexibility ininfluencing network behavior to suit their needs. This call controlprotocol further provides seamless interoperability across wireline andwireless networks.

A detailed discussion of SIP and its call control services are describedin IETF RFC 2543, IETF RFC 3261 and IETF Internet draft “SIP CallControl Services”, Jun. 17, 1999; these documents are incorporatedherein by reference in their entireties. SIP messages are eitherrequests or responses. The user terminal 111 can be a user agent thatbehaves as either a user agent client (UAC) or a user agent server(UAS), depending on the services that the system 100 is executing. Ingeneral, a user agent client issues requests, while a user agent serverprovides responses to these requests.

SIP defines various types of requests, which are also referred to asmethods. The first method is the INVITE method, which invites a user toa conference. The next method is the ACK method, which provides forreliable message exchanges for invitations in that the client is sent aconfirmation to the INVITE request. That is, a successful SIP invitationincludes an INVITE request followed by an ACK request. Another method isa BYE request, which indicates to the UAS that the session should bereleased. In other words, BYE terminates a connection between two usersor parties in a conference. The next method is the OPTIONS method; thismethod solicits information about capabilities and does not assist withestablishment of a session. Lastly, the REGISTER provides informationabout a user's location to a SIP server.

According to one embodiment, the system 100 provides delivery of mediasessions using an IP-based approach. Specifically, the system 100 uses asignaling protocol (e.g., SIP) in conjunction with a standard datapacket format (e.g., Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP)) to delivercommunication services. More specifically, the signaling protocol isused to establish, modify, and terminate a media session, while thestandard data packet format serves as the conduit for carrying audio andvideo over the system 100.

To address the issue of costly overhead in support VoIP traffic, anapproach is introduced that eliminates the overhead all together. Asseen in FIG. 5A, in step 501, a transmitter (UT 111 or SBSS 107depending on the direction of information transfer) establishes a VoIPsession with a receiver (SBSS 107 or UT 111). To support voice service,according to one embodiment, the user data stream includes thefollowing: IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) signaling stream, Real-TimeControl Protocol (RTCP) stream, and Real-Time Protocol (RTP) speechstream. These streams can be transported over the same bearer (the samePacket Data Protocol (PDP) Context/radio access bearer (RAB)) or overdifferent bearers.

To ensure that quality of service (QoS) differentiation can be affordedto the voice media stream relative to that of IMS signaling a separatePDP Context/RAB can be established for IMS signaling. This enables theoptimization of bandwidth usage over the satellite link in the system100 (of FIG. 1) by providing the real-time, low latency guarantees tothe voice media stream. For example, session control signaling (e.g.,Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)/Session Description Protocol (SDP))can be utilized over User Datagram Protocol (UDP)/IP for applicationcontrol between the terminals 111. SIP signaling can be used formultimedia session control.

In step 503, the transmitter notifies the receiver of the headerinformation corresponding to the VoIP session. Voice payload (media) arecarried over RTP/UDP/IP. The coded speech is carried alongside thepayload descriptor in the media/RTP payload. Dual Tone Multi-frequency(DTMF) and Silence Insertion Descriptor (SID) packets are also carriedalongside the speech packets. Thus, the overhead includes the RTP/UDP/IPheader. Subsequently, the transmitter need only transmit the voicepayload without the header information to the receiver, as in step 505.The receiver, upon receiving the voice payload, regenerates the headerfor the VoIP packets for further routing to the end user (step 507).This process thus completely eliminates the RTP/UDP/IP header at thetransmitter and regenerates headers at the receiver. In other words, thetransmitting entity informs the receiving entity about the details ofthe header at the beginning of a VoIP call.

In the scenario of FIG. 5B, the VoIP session utilizes Session InitiationProtocol (SIP) to establish voice communication between two parties. SIPprotocol serves as the call control protocol for establishing,maintaining and teardown of VoIP calls. SIP provides a flexibleframework for handling multimedia services, affording the end user withflexibility in influencing network behavior to suit their needs. Thiscall control protocol further provides seamless interoperability acrosswireline and wireless networks.

For the purposes of illustration, only one party is depicted tohighlight the satellite link between the SBSS 107 and the UT 111. Instep 511, the SIP exchange necessary to establish a communicationsession is performed between a VoIP client (in communication with the UT111) and a SIP server. In an exemplary embodiment, the VoIP client canreside within the UT 111. Next, in step 513, the VoIP client transmitsheader information, e.g., RTP/UDP/IP information, to the SBSS 107, whichthen stores this information. The SBSS 107 provides the association ofthis header information with the particular VoIP session. In oneembodiment, the scheme also takes advantage of the periodic nature ofresource allocation for transmission of VoIP payloads in order toregenerate RTP headers.

In step 515, the VoIP client generates a voice packet with uncompressedRTP/UDP/IP information. The UT 111 strips this information from thevoice packet, leaving only the voice payload to be transmitted to theSBSS 107 over the satellite link. In this manner, overhead informationis eliminated from utilizing precious satellite capacity. At the SBSS107, the RTP/UDP/IP information is retrieved and used to regenerate theentire voice packet for forwarding to the media gateway 117, forexample. The media gateway 117 can then terminate the call to the voicestation 119 over the PSTN 105. In step 517, the media gateway 117generates a voice packet conveying information from the voice station119; this packet includes uncompressed RTP/UDP/IP information, which theSBSS 107 strips off. The SBSS 107 generates a satellite frame with onlythe voice payload to transport to the UT 111. At the UT 111, the voicepacket is regenerated with the corresponding RTP/UDP/IP information.

In the above process, the physical channel is defined such that a knownnumber of VoIP payloads are carried in each burst. The receiver is ableto extract the VoIP payloads at the physical layer and attach a headerbased on information received at the beginning of the VoIP session.Media handling is illustrated in FIG. 6.

To provide maximum spectrally efficiency over the satellite interface313, all packet overhead is removed and only the payload voice framesare transmitted. Any header information used for communications betweenthe vocoders are thus removed prior to transmission on the satellitelink and regenerated following reception. The PHY layer providesindications of the channel as well as the transmission content thatallows for the indirect communication of information across thesatellite link and necessary regeneration of header information. Beforeentry into the terrestrial network, e.g., core network 101, the headerinformation is put back.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a communication system for providing mediahandling to achieve circuit-switched efficiency for VoIP, according tovarious exemplary embodiments. As shown, in the segment 601, headerinformation is exchanged. In segment 603 (i.e., satellite link), thesatellite link carries only payload. The process of FIG. 5 involveselimination of the need to transfer details of header information in thedirection from SBSS 107 to UT 111. In this example, the UT 111 is ableto regenerate, in an exemplary embodiment, the RTP/UDP/IP headers purelybased on the knowledge of what the application is using in terms ofsource IP address, destination IP address, source port and destinationport. Also, the SBSS 107 can regenerate the voice packets forcommunication with the core network (e.g., network 101 of FIGS. 1A and1B); segment 605 from the SBSS 107 to the core network 101 utilizeheaders as well as the payload.

In addition to the above arrangement, the satellite interface can befurther optimized in support of voice communications.

FIGS. 7A and 7B are, respectively, a flowchart of a process forproviding multiple vocoder rate operation, and a diagram of a framestructure for supporting the process, according to various exemplaryembodiments. Vocoder rate adaptation maintains voice quality whenchannel conditions degrade. According to one embodiment, the system 100is also capable of carrying VoIP with circuit-switched spectralefficiency even when the vocoder is operating at multiple rates. Bycontrast, conventionally vocoder rate changes are indicated explicitlywithin the header—e.g., via a 1-byte header. To avoid such costlyoverhead, the system 100 utilizes a physical layer assisted method todetermine the rate at which the voice encoder operates. Also, a physicallayer assisted header compression scheme permits transmission ofnon-VoIP information on the same channel as provided for VoIP.

FIG. 7A shows the physical layer assisted approach. In step 701, aunique set of reference symbols (or Unique Words) are used fordetermining the rate at which voice encoder operated at the transmitter.These reference symbols can also be used to determine whether a receivedburst carries voice information or non-voice information. In step 703,these reference symbols are transmitted within the physical layerheader, thereby negating signaling such information at a higher layer.

In the example of FIG. 7B, the physical frame structures 711, 713, 715.Frame 711 includes a unique word, UW1, corresponding to a particularrate, Rate 1, while frame 713 provides a different unique word, UW2, fora different rate, Rate 2. Furthermore, yet another unique word, UW3, canbe specified, as shown in frame 715, to indicate a non-VoIPcommunication session.

Within the core network 101, the Media/RTP flow carries coded speech forvoice services; e.g., the overall packets for the media flow carryingspeech are Codec/RTP/UDP/IPv6. Voice traffic within the system 100 canbe based, for instance, on Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR) and DVSI vocoders.The RTP payload size for AMR 12.2 kbps coded speech is 32 bytes, and forthe DVSI 4 kbps coded speech it is 10 bytes. Such flow can support RealTime/Conversational communications. In the case of a fixed packet sizeof 70 bytes, 60 bytes of uncompressed RTP/UDP/IPv6 header is providedevery 20 ms (for 4 kbps coded speech with Silence Insertion Descriptor(SID) packets during voice inactivity). With the vocoder configured fortwo voice frames per packet, 80 bytes is generated every 40 ms.Alternatively, if the flow utilizes a fixed packet size of 50 bytes, 40bytes of uncompressed RTP/UDP/IPv4 header are provided every 20 ms (for4 kbps coded speech with SID packets during voice inactivity). With thevocoder configured for two voice frames per packet, 60 bytes isgenerated every 40 ms.

The voice payload from the DVSI vocoder is formed every 20 ms. However,to reduce end-to-end overhead, the vocoder can also be configured toconcatenate two voice frames within a single vocoder payload, i.e. twovoice frames per IP/UDP/RTP packet. The two 20 ms frames will form asingle packet transmitted across the satellite air interface (e.g.,using a 40 ms frame).

FIGS. 8A and 8B are, respectively, a flowchart and a ladder diagram ofprocesses for providing link quality reports in support of acommunications session, according to various exemplary embodiments. In aVoIP transaction utilizing SIP, in addition to transfer of media viaReal-Time Protocol (RTP), there is transfer of side information, such asquality reports, via Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) protocol. Forexample, RTCP over UDP/IP can be employed for media control, wherein theRTCP provides feedback quality information to the source for the mediacarried within the RTP flow. Transfer of side information using RTCPrequires additional bandwidth on the scarce mobile links. As described,the system 100 relies upon an approach that completely eliminatestransfer of side information between transmitter (UT or SBSS dependingon direction of media transfer) and receiver (SBSS or UT), therebyconserving resources on mobile links. The receiver creates these RTCPpackets towards the client or server based on radio link quality, asseen at the physical layer.

RTCP is transported over UDP/IP and typically carries media controlinformation. The characteristics of this flow are a Variable Packet Size(can be longer than the RTP payload) and that messages are transferredinfrequently. RTCP defines different packet types—Sender Report,Receiver Report, Source Description, BYE and APP.

In step 801, a media session is established between the transmitter andthe receiver. Next, the process examines the radio link quality at thephysical layer, per step 803. Accordingly, this eliminates the need forproviding radio link quality reports at the higher layer, such as theRTCP protocol (step 805). In step 807, the quality reports areregenerated based on the physical layer of the radio link.

In the exemplary scenario of FIG. 8B, the steps of 811-819 are similarto those steps 511-517 of the process of FIG. 5B. In addition, theprocess employs an RTCP suppression mechanism, whereby the VoIP clienttransmits, per step 821, a link quality report. As with the process ofFIG. 5B, the packet(s) specifying such link quality report do notinclude the header information (e.g., RTCP/UDP/IP).

As another example of how VoIP sessions, particularly those involvingthe use of SIP, can be supported more efficiently relates totransmission errors, as next described.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for handling transmission errorsassociated with a packetized voice call, according to various exemplaryembodiments. SIP messages are textual in nature, resulting in longmessage lengths. Therefore, the transfer of these lengthy messagesacross the air interface (e.g., satellite air interface) results in along call setup time. Traditionally, use of compression techniques suchas SIGCOMP have been implemented to reduce the size of SIP messages,which can typically be about several hundred bytes long.

In step 901, a communication session (e.g., SIP session) is initiated;in which a transmission frame is generated. The process then compressesthe transmission frame, as in step 903. This compressed frame is thentransmitted according to SIP, per step 905. It is noted that typicallySIP is carried over UDP, and messages carried over UDP are carried inunacknowledged mode at the data link layer. In step 907, a transmissionerror is detected at the data link layer (i.e., Layer 2 (“L2”)). Ratherthan rely on the higher layer protocols to address the errors (i.e.,using a retransmission scheme), the process retransmits at L2 using anacknowledgement mode of operation (step 909).

To better appreciate this process, a conventional process for handlingSIP over UPD is described with respect to FIG. 10A.

FIGS. 10A and 10B are, respectively, a ladder diagram of a conventionalprocess for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) over User DatagramProtocol (UDP) handling, and a ladder diagram of an enhanced process forSIP over UDP handling according to an exemplary embodiment. As shown inFIG. 10A, conventionally, the SIGCOMP compression is performed on theSIP message, which, as mentioned, are transported over UDP inunacknowledged mode at the data link layer (step 1001). The compressedSIP message is generally larger than a typical data link layer framesize. As a result, a single frame in error will result in the entirecompressed SIP message to be retransmitted (step 1003). This not onlyresults in increased call setup delay, but also wastes UT battery lifebecause of power necessary to retransmit.

By contrast, the process of FIG. 10B relies upon the acknowledged modeoperation at data link layer for SIP messages. In step 1011, the SIPclient compresses the SIP messages, and the UT 111 sends thecorresponding L2 frames in the acknowledgement mode to the SBSS 107.Consequently, upon detection of a transmission error at the data linklayer, the SBSS 107 need only signal a negative acknowledgement (NACK)for the erroneous frame (step 1013). In response to the NACK signal, theUT 111 retransmits, as in step 1015, only the particular frame in error,as opposed to all the frames encompassing the SIP message. In step 1017,the SBSS 107 forwards the SIP message to the SIP server.

This process minimizes the impact of frame errors on the channel,thereby extending battery life in comparison to the conventionalapproach of FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11 is a diagram of a communication system having a quality ofservice (QoS) architecture, according to an exemplary embodiment. Underthis scenario, communication system 1100 provides Quality of Service(QoS) differentiation across various applications and users. The system1100 provides an end-to-end QoS architecture. For delay sensitivetraffic, the system 1100 provides resource reservation in the returnlink (link between UT 111 and SBSS 107). The UT 111 maps IP serviceapplication requirements to UMTS QoS parameters. The SBSS 107 implementsadmission control and maps radio access bearer (RAB) QoS to radio bearerQoS (L1/L2 parameters).

The SBSS 107 communicates over an IP network 1101 to a 3G-SGSN 1103,which maps QoS request to RAB QoS (RAB assignment parameters) based QoSprofile. Home Subscriber System (HSS) 1105 stores information about thesubscriber, including QoS profiles. 3G-SGSN 1103 has connectivity to anIP backbone network 1107 for communicating with a 3G-GGSN 1109, whichmaps IP packets to PDP context with different QoS characteristics using,for example, TFT packet filters (e.g., address, protocol, port, SPI,TOS). The GGSN 1109 interfaces with a firewall 1111 to reach an externalIP network 1113. A Proxy Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF) 1115(e.g., SIP server) has access to the external IP network 1113.

For guaranteed bit rate traffic, the system 1100 provides resourceguarantees when actual traffic has enough backlog to warrant use ofguaranteed resources—when actual traffic rate requirement is lower thanguaranteed bit rate, the system 1100 distributes available bandwidth toother flows in the system in a manner proportional to the weightassociated these other flows.

Multiple simultaneous flows in the mobile satellite system based onterrestrial 3G architecture are illustrated FIG. 12.

FIG. 12 is a diagram of a communication system for supporting multiplesimultaneous flows for a user terminal with different QoS requirement,according to an exemplary embodiment. Under this scenario, communicationsystem 1200 provides for flows associated with different applications: aweb browsing application 1201, a video streaming application 1203, and aVoIP application 1205. These applications 1201, 1203, and 1205, for thepurposes of illustration, utilize different QoS parameters and areserved by a common UT 111. As such, multiple flows can arrivesimultaneously at the SBSS 107 according to differing QoS requirements,and be supplied to the UT 111.

Given the fact that multiple flows are transported over the satelliteair interface, such flows can processed to achieve better spectralefficiency, as detailed below.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart of a process for efficiently multiplexing flows,according to various exemplary embodiments. The system 100 permitsmultiplexing of multiple flows belonging to different users in the samephysical burst to maximize spectral efficiency. In step 1301, the flowsare monitored; these flows can be for the same terminal or differentterminals). The process determines any unused portions of the physicalburst, per step 1303. It is then determined whether the flows are forthe same (or common) terminal, as in step 1305. If the flows are for thesame terminal, flow identifiers (IDs) are inserted into the samephysical layer burst (step 1307). However, if the flows are not from thesame terminal, different identifiers (e.g., MAC addresses) correspondingto the terminals are inserted, as in step 1309, into the same physicallayer burst. The burst is subsequently transmitted, per step 1311. Theformats of this physical layer burst is shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B.

FIGS. 14A-14C are diagrams of exemplary frame structures for providingmultiplexing of multiple flows, according to various exemplaryembodiments. By way of example, in FIG. 14A, unused portions of aphysical (PHY) burst 1401 in, e.g., the downlink (from the SBSS 107 tothe UT 111) can be allocated to eligible flows belonging to potentiallydifferent UTs 111 as determined by a scheduler. Physical bursts in thiscase may carry multiple unique identifiers (e.g., MAC addresses) if theflows correspond to different UTs 111. In this example, the physicalburst 1401 supports three different UTs 111. Accordingly, the burst 1401provides each UT 111 (e.g., UT1, UT2, and UT3) with an identifier (e.g.,MAC address) and associated payload. Thus, burst 1401 includes thefollowing fields: UT 1 MAC ID and payload for UT1; UT2 MAC ID andpayload for UT2; and UT3 MAC ID and payload for UT3.

As seen in FIG. 14B, in the uplink (i.e., in the direction of UT toSBSS), the system 100 permits multiplexing of multiple flows belongingto same user terminal 111 in a PHY burst 1403. In this case, unusedportion of the physical burst 1403 is allocated to suitable flows of thesame UT 111, as determined by the scheduler. The physical burst 1403 canspecify multiple flow identifiers (e.g., addresses) for three flows toUT1: Flow ID1, Flow ID2, and Flow ID3.

In another embodiment, a frame structure 1405 of FIG. 14C can supportefficient multiplexing of flows belonging to different traffic classes,terminal types (e.g., with different transmit capabilities), and bursttypes.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart of a process for utilizing performance enhancingproxy (PEP) functions, according to an exemplary embodiment. The system100, as a 3G mobile satellite system, can be designed to employPerformance Enhancing Proxies (PEP) to improve throughput for variousapplications—e.g., Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) basedapplications. Because much of today's networks are either operating withor are required to interface with the Transmission ControlProtocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) suite, attention has been focused onoptimizing TCP/IP based networking operations. As the networkingstandard for the global Internet, TCP/IP has earned such acceptanceamong the industry because of its flexibility and rich heritage in theresearch community. The transmission control protocol (TCP) is thedominant protocol in use today on the Internet. TCP is carried by theInternet protocol (IP) and is used in a variety of applicationsincluding reliable file transfer and Internet web page accessapplications.

PEP functions perform a general class of functions termed “TCPspoofing,” in order to improve TCP performance over impaired (i.e., highlatency or high error rate) links. TCP spoofing involves an intermediatenetwork device (the performance enhancing proxy (PEP)) intercepting andaltering, through the addition and/or deletion of TCP segments, thebehavior of the TCP connection in an attempt to improve its performance.Conventional TCP spoofing implementations include the localacknowledgement of TCP data segments in order to get the TCP data senderto send additional data sooner than it would have sent if spoofing werenot being performed, thus improving the throughput of the TCPconnection. Generally, conventional TCP spoofing implementations havefocused simply on increasing the throughput of TCP connections either byusing larger windows over the link or by using compression to reduce theamount of data which needs to be sent, or both.

Under this exemplary application, in step 1501, a TCP session isestablished over the satellite link (i.e., from the SBSS 107 to the UT111). Depending on the direction of traffic, the SBSS 107 or the UT 111can invoke the PEP function. In step 1503, it is determined whether toapply PEP. If so, the PEP function is invoked, as in step 1505. The PEPfunctionality is invoked when the SBSS 107 has visibility to TCP headers(since this is necessary for protocol spoofing).

However, in situations where IPSec is used and TCP headers are notvisible, the system 100 relies on MAC layer protocol enhancements thatdoes not require visibility to TCP headers. In this embodiment, the MAClayer provides speculative grants to the UT 111 when resources areavailable in the system 100. These speculative grants are used by UT 111to transmit in, e.g., the uplink without explicitly requesting for radioresources. This eliminates the round-tip delay involved in request/grantexchange between UT 111 and SBSS 107.

FIG. 17 illustrates impact of using typical terrestrial GPRS MACprotocols, and FIG. 18 illustrates the enhancement in performance due tothe PEP functionality. TCP provides reliable, in-sequence delivery ofdata between two TCP entities. These entities set up a TCP connection,using a conventional TCP three-way handshake and then transfer datausing a window based protocol with the successfully received dataacknowledged.

FIG. 16 is a diagram of a protocol architecture including PEP functions,according to an exemplary embodiment. A protocol architecture 1600resembles that of architecture 300 of FIG. 3, and can be adopted by thesystem 100. As seen, a PEP layer 1601, 1603 is injected into theprotocol architecture 1600 in a manner that does not impact the corenetwork protocol architecture. The PEP function can be entirely absorbedin the Access Stratum protocol architecture. PEP function monitors TCPtransactions and speeds up transfer of TCP segments across air interfacewhen resources are available. It also prevents TCP windows fromcollapsing due to errors on the radio links.

FIG. 17 is a ladder diagram of a typical Medium Access Control (MAC)protocol exchange over a satellite link. This process begins, per step1701, with a TCP server outputting a TCP segment to the SBSS 107, whichgenerates multiple L2 frames for transmission over the satellite link tothe UT 111. These L2 frames are then used to regenerate the TCP segment,which is then provided to the TCP client. The TCP client subsequentlyacknowledges, as in step 1703, the received TCP segment by issuing a TCPACK message. This ACK message triggers a resource allocation process, inwhich the UT 111 requests resources for sending the ACK message to theSBSS 107. In step 1705, the UT 111 submits a request for resource, andthe SBSS responds with a resource grant (step 1707). Per steps 1709 and1711, the UT 111 provides information relating to the resource request(e.g., backlog, priority, etc.) to the SBSS 107, which then sends agrant based on this information. Thereafter, the UT 111 can send the TCPACK message over the L2frames to the SBSS 107, as in step 1713. Lastly,the SBSS 107 forwards the TCP ACK message to the TCP server. In thisprocess, the resource allocation procedure for simply forwarding the TCPACK is expensive, introducing significant delay. In recognition of thisdrawback, an approach is provided (shown in FIG. 18) that minimizes thedelay stemming from the resource allocation procedure.

FIG. 18 is a ladder diagram of a MAC protocol exchange over a satellitelink in which delay is reduced, according to an exemplary embodiment. Instep 1801, the TCP server sends a TCP segment, resulting in thegeneration and transmission of L2 frames from the SBSS 107 to the UT 111as in the process of FIG. 17. Unlike this process, in step 1803,recognizing that an acknowledgement message will be forthcoming, theSBSS 107 submits a speculative uplink grant for the anticipated TCP ACK.

In step 1805, the UT 111 forwards the TCP segment to the TCP client.After receipt of the TCP segment, the TCP client, per step 1807, submitsa TCP ACK. At this point, the UT 111 can immediately forward the TCP ACKover the satellite link, as resources had been pre-allocated. In step1809, the TCP ACK is received by the SBSS 107 and forwarded to the TCPserver. The typical resource allocation procedure is avoided in thisprocess, thereby reducing delays associated with such a procedure.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a process for efficiently utilizing resourcesto provide push-to-anything, according to an exemplary embodiment. Thesystem 100, in certain embodiments, also permits carriage of resourceefficient Push-to-Anything services. Under this scenario, the end-to-endarchitecture of system 100 relies upon terrestrial IP multimediasubsystem (IMS) elements such as PoC servers (as shown in FIG. 20). Byway of example, the push-to-anything process of FIG. 19 is explainedwith respect to the architecture of FIG. 20.

With the architecture 2000, the IMS core 103 includes one or more PoCservers 2001, a presence server 2003, and a SIP proxy/registrar server2005. The presence server 2003 provides information on the availabilityof a particular user to receive the PoC communication. The SIPproxy/registrar server 2005 assists with establishing SIP sessions.

In step 1901, the POC server 2001 receives media as part of thepush-to-anything service. Next, the PoC server 2001 injects, as in step1903, multiple unicast streams towards the SBSS 107. It is recognizedthat the radio resource usage can be made significantly more efficientfor the satellite link. Namely, the SBSS 107 need only transmit one suchstream, per step 1905, in a given spot-beam (e.g., beams 2007 and 2009),thereby significantly saving radio resources and satellite power. Instep 1907, the user terminal (with the PoC client) receives the singlestream.

A further mechanism for achieving spectral efficiency over the satelliteair interface involves examining the channel conditions.

FIG. 21 is a flowchart of a process for providing dynamic linkadaptation, according to an exemplary embodiment. This process utilizesdynamic link adaptation whereby the transmit power, modulation scheme,coding scheme and resource allocation are adjusted based on UT channelcondition. In step 2101, the UT channel condition is determined. Afterthis determination, the UT power can be set, as in step 2103. Forexample, to maximize throughput, UT power is adjusted upto a thresholdso as to mitigate an impaired channel condition. When UT transmit powerreaches a threshold (as determined in step 2105), modulation and codingschemes are adjusted to maximize throughput, per step 2107. In certainapplications, guaranteed bit rate flows may be supported. As such, forguaranteed bit rate flows (as determined in step 2109), resourceallocations can also be adjusted so as to keep the information rateconstant, as in step 2111.

The performance enhancement obtain through the application of the abovescheme is shown in FIG. 22.

FIG. 22 is a diagram of a graph show performance of a dynamic linkadaptation mechanism, according to an exemplary embodiment.Specifically, graph 2200 shows three different coding rates, R1, R2, andR3 (in ascending order of rates). As seen, throughput can be maximizedfor each of the rates after a particular signal-to-noise (SNR) level.

FIG. 23 is a ladder diagram of a handover process between a terrestrialdomain and a satellite domain, according to an exemplary embodiment. Inthe example, the system 100 (of FIG. 1B) supports in-session handoversbetween terrestrial and satellite domains via coordination of resourcesvia, e.g., a central resource manager (not shown). In step 2301, the UT111 is in session with terrestrial network 113. In step 2303, the SBSS107 communicates with the terrestrial network 113 to convey informationregarding the satellite radio resources. When the UT 111 is in sessionon a terrestrial network (e.g., network 113), the terrestrial network113 provides opportunities for the UT 111 to make measurements ofadjacent terrestrial cells as well as the overlaid satellite spot-beams(step 2305). Information about satellite spot-beams is provided to theterrestrial RAN 113 by the central resource manager in form ofmeasurement reports, per step 2307. In turn, the terrestrial network 113supplies the satellite parameters, as in step 2309.

Based on measurement reports received by the terrestrial network 113(step 2305), the terrestrial network decides whether the user terminalshould be handed over to a terrestrial cell or satellite spot-beam (step2309). If the decision is a satellite spot-beam, then the network 113informs user terminal 111 about the details of the satellite spot-beam.The user terminal 111 then continues the session, as in step 2311, withthe satellite system and abandons the terrestrial system 113.

FIG. 24 is a flowchart of a process for providing legal interceptionhandling, according to an exemplary embodiment. Satellite spot-beamsgenerally cover a relatively wide area (e.g., several hundred kilometersin radius) compared to a terrestrial cell (e.g., 2-3 km radius).Therefore a satellite spot-beam can span across multiple countries andjurisdictions. Many countries require that a call originated from thatcountry be interceptible in that country. Legal interception points aretypically in the core network domain.

To achieve this, the system 100 can utilize the SBSS 107 to determinethe position of the UT 111 (step 2401). That is, the SBSS 107 can trackwhere the packets are routed based on UT position, per step 2403.According to one embodiment, the SBSS 107 receives or estimates the UTposition at the time of session origination; and this positioninformation is updated in- session upon UT movement. Depending on UTposition, the SBSS 107 has a routing functionality to multiple corenetwork elements. This is illustrated in FIG. 25 below.

FIG. 25 is a diagram of a communication system capable of providinglegal interception handling, according to an exemplary embodiment. Underthe architecture 2500, the SBSS 107 interfaces with two differentterrestrial systems 2501 and 2503. The SBSS routing functionality canfacilitate legal interception in core network based on the position ofthe UT. For instance, UT-1 is determined to be in the jurisdiction ofcountry A, and thus, the SBSS 107 forwards traffic, denoted UT-1traffic, to the terrestrial system 2501 of country A. Also, upondetermining that the UT-2 is within the borders of country B, the SBSS107 routes UT-2 traffic to the terrestrial system 2503 of country B.

One of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that the processes forproviding a satellite interface to support mobile communication servicesmay be implemented via software, hardware (e.g., general processor,Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chip, an Application Specific IntegratedCircuit (ASIC), Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), etc.), firmware,or a combination thereof. Such exemplary hardware for performing thedescribed functions is detailed below.

FIG. 26 illustrates exemplary hardware that can be used to implementcertain embodiments. A computing system 2600 includes a bus 2601 orother communication mechanism for communicating information and aprocessor 2603 coupled to the bus 2601 for processing information. Thecomputing system 2600 also includes main memory 2605, such as a randomaccess memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, coupled to the bus2601 for storing information and instructions to be executed by theprocessor 2603. Main memory 2605 can also be used for storing temporaryvariables or other intermediate information during execution ofinstructions by the processor 2603. The computing system 2600 mayfurther include a read only memory (ROM) 2607 or other static storagedevice coupled to the bus 2601 for storing static information andinstructions for the processor 2603. A storage device 2609, such as amagnetic disk or optical disk, is coupled to the bus 2601 forpersistently storing information and instructions.

The computing system 2600 may be coupled via the bus 2601 to a display2611, such as a liquid crystal display, or active matrix display, fordisplaying information to a user. An input device 2613, such as akeyboard including alphanumeric and other keys, may be coupled to thebus 2601 for communicating information and command selections to theprocessor 2603. The input device 2613 can include a cursor control, suchas a mouse, a trackball, or cursor direction keys, for communicatingdirection information and command selections to the processor 2603 andfor controlling cursor movement on the display 2611.

According to various embodiments of the invention, the processesdescribed herein can be provided by the computing system 2600 inresponse to the processor 2603 executing an arrangement of instructionscontained in main memory 2605. Such instructions can be read into mainmemory 2605 from another computer-readable medium, such as the storagedevice 2609. Execution of the arrangement of instructions contained inmain memory 2605 causes the processor 2603 to perform the process stepsdescribed herein. One or more processors in a multi-processingarrangement may also be employed to execute the instructions containedin main memory 2605. In alternative embodiments, hard-wired circuitrymay be used in place of or in combination with software instructions toimplement the embodiment of the invention. In another example,reconfigurable hardware such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs)can be used, in which the functionality and connection topology of itslogic gates are customizable at run-time, typically by programmingmemory look up tables. Thus, embodiments of the invention are notlimited to any specific combination of hardware circuitry and software.

The computing system 2600 also includes at least one communicationinterface 2615 coupled to bus 2601. The communication interface 2615provides a two-way data communication coupling to a network link (notshown). The communication interface 2615 sends and receives electrical,electromagnetic, or optical signals that carry digital data streamsrepresenting various types of information. Further, the communicationinterface 2615 can include peripheral interface devices, such as aUniversal Serial Bus (USB) interface, a PCMCIA (Personal Computer MemoryCard International Association) interface, etc.

The processor 2603 may execute the transmitted code while being receivedand/or store the code in the storage device 2609, or other non-volatilestorage for later execution. In this manner, the computing system 2600may obtain application code in the form of a carrier wave.

The term “computer-readable medium” as used herein refers to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to the processor 2603 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limitedto non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media.Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, suchas the storage device 2609. Volatile media include dynamic memory, suchas main memory 2605. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copperwire and fiber optics, including the wires that comprise the bus 2601.Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic, optical, orelectromagnetic waves, such as those generated during radio frequency(RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms ofcomputer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexibledisk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM,CDRW, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, opticalmark sheets, any other physical medium with patterns of holes or otheroptically recognizable indicia, a RAM, a PROM, and EPROM, a FLASH-EPROM,any other memory chip or cartridge, a carrier wave, or any other mediumfrom which a computer can read.

Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in providinginstructions to a processor for execution. For example, the instructionsfor carrying out at least part of the invention may initially be borneon a magnetic disk of a remote computer. In such a scenario, the remotecomputer loads the instructions into main memory and sends theinstructions over a telephone line using a modem. A modem of a localsystem receives the data on the telephone line and uses an infraredtransmitter to convert the data to an infrared signal and transmit theinfrared signal to a portable computing device, such as a personaldigital assistant (PDA) or a laptop. An infrared detector on theportable computing device receives the information and instructionsborne by the infrared signal and places the data on a bus. The busconveys the data to main memory, from which a processor retrieves andexecutes the instructions. The instructions received by main memory canoptionally be stored on storage device either before or after executionby processor.

FIG. 27 is a diagram of exemplary components of a user terminalconfigured to operate in the systems of FIGS. 1A and 1B, according to anexemplary embodiment. A user terminal 2700 includes an antenna system2701 (which can utilize multiple antennas) to receive and transmitsignals. The antenna system 2701 is coupled to radio circuitry 2703,which includes multiple transmitters 2705 and receivers 2707. The radiocircuitry encompasses all of the Radio Frequency (RF) circuitry as wellas base-band processing circuitry. As shown, layer-1 (L1) and layer-2(L2) processing are provided by units 2709 and 2711, respectively.Optionally, layer-3 functions can be provided (not shown). Module 2713executes all Medium Access Control (MAC) layer functions. A timing andcalibration module 2715 maintains proper timing by interfacing, forexample, an external timing reference (not shown). Additionally, aprocessor 2717 is included. Under this scenario, the user terminal 2700communicates with a computing device 2719, which can be a personalcomputer, work station, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), webappliance, cellular phone, etc.

While the invention has been described in connection with a number ofembodiments and implementations, the invention is not so limited butcovers various obvious modifications and equivalent arrangements, whichfall within the purview of the appended claims. Although features of theinvention are expressed in certain combinations among the claims, it iscontemplated that these features can be arranged in any combination andorder.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving one or morepackets associated with a data communication session from a terrestrialnetwork configured to provide cellular communications; and generating aframe representing the packet for transmission over a satellite link toa user terminal, wherein signaling information for the transmission ofthe packet over the terrestrial network is modified or eliminated fortransmission over the satellite link.
 2. A method according to claim 1,wherein the data communication session provides one of a telephonyservice, a paging service, a messaging service, or broadband dataservice.
 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the datacommunication session is a Voice over Internet Protocol session.
 4. Amethod according to claim 1, wherein the VoIP session is establishedaccording to a session initiation protocol (SIP).
 5. A method accordingto claim 1, wherein the frame is generated at a satellite base stationconfigured to communicate with a satellite configured to transmit theframe over a spot beam to a user terminal.
 6. A method according toclaim 5, wherein the satellite base station utilizes an air interfacethat includes a physical layer, a Medium Access Control (MAC) layer, aradio link control (RLC) layer, and a radio resource control (RRC)layer.
 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the terrestrial networkincludes one or more Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem (IMS)elements.
 8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the satellite basestation utilizes an interface to communicate with the terrestrialnetwork, the interface includes an Ethernet layer and an InternetProtocol (IP) layer.
 9. An apparatus comprising: a terrestrial interfaceconfigured to receive one or more packets associated with a datacommunication session from a terrestrial network configured to providecellular communications; and a satellite interface configured togenerate a frame representing the packet for transmission over asatellite link to a user terminal, wherein signaling information for thetransmission of the packet over the terrestrial network is modified oreliminated for transmission over the satellite link.
 10. An apparatusaccording to claim 9, wherein the data communication session providesone of a telephony service, a paging service, a messaging service, orbroadband data service.
 11. An apparatus according to claim 9, whereinthe data communication session is a Voice over Internet Protocolsession.
 12. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the VoIP sessionis established according to a session initiation protocol (SIP).
 13. Anapparatus according to claim 9, wherein the frame is generated at asatellite base station configured to communicate with a satelliteconfigured to transmit the frame over a spot beam to a user terminal.14. An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the satellite basestation utilizes an air interface that includes a physical layer, aMedium Access Control (MAC) layer, a radio link control (RLC) layer, anda radio resource control (RRC) layer.
 15. An apparatus according toclaim 14, wherein the terrestrial network includes one or more InternetProtocol multimedia subsystem (IMS) elements.
 16. An apparatus accordingto claim 15, wherein the satellite base station utilizes an interface tocommunicate with the terrestrial network, the interface includes anEthernet layer and an Internet Protocol (IP) layer.
 17. A methodcomprising: receiving a plurality of frames from a satellite, whereinthe frames represent a multimedia session transported over a terrestrialnetwork configured to provide cellular communications; and generatingone or more packets by modifying or adding overhead information toinformation transported over the frames.
 18. A method according to claim17, wherein the multimedia session provides one of a telephony service,a paging service, a messaging service, or broadband data service.
 19. Amethod according to claim 17, wherein the multimedia session is a Voiceover Internet Protocol session.
 20. A method according to claim 17,wherein the VoIP session is established according to a sessioninitiation protocol (SIP).